Kaiser Chiefs

Off With Their Heads

So, a mere eighteen months since the release of their second album 'Yours Truly, Angry Mob', which saw Leeds' Kaiser Chiefs have the best selling UK rock album of last year, they are set to unleash their third longplayer. The album was produced by Mark Ronson & Eliot James at RAK & Eastcote Studios in London, and mixed by Andy Wallace (He did Nevermind and LCD Soundsystem), with a few tracks mixed by Cenzo Townshend.

Kicking off with the somewhat incongruous 'Spanish Metal' before launching into 'Never Miss A Beat' - the first track lifted from the album, road tested since the band's UK tour last winter is now complete with backing vocals from Lily Allen and New York Pony Club... it sees the band add to their ever bulging bag of hit singles. 'Like It Too Much' replete with lush orchestral arrangements from Bond & Bjork maestro David Arnold is a rousing classic Kaisers number which sits comfortably alongside the likes of album highlights 'You Want History' and 'Good Days Bad Days'; the latter underpinned by keyboard arrangements conjuring up New York disco morphed into Talking Heads-like brilliance, whilst in its wake creeps up the Kaiserdelic 'Tomato In The Rain', heralded by its hammond organ and great lyrics.

'Half The Truth' more than nods to the likes of XTC and comes with a contribution from UK grime artist Sway, meanwhile friend and musical ally Lily contributes backing vocals to 'Always Happens Like That' before the psychedelic bent continues when drummer Nick Hodgson resumes vocal duties on album closer 'Remember Your A Girl', sounding like a long lost John Lennon track from the mid-70's.

'Off With Their Heads' should be described as being the first 'proper' Kaiser Chiefs' album with a solid base on which is constructed a series of tracks which come together as an altogether less frenetic and more cohesive piece of work than previous outings and is almost certainly the better for it.

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